Controlling system



Dec. 29. 1925- W. P' ALBERT CONTROLLING SYSTEM Filed June 17, 1922 /J6 id? 5% M9 M0 w fi/fi w w #4 T o o 0 0 0 E //3 17/7? gm: 1 l I:

,/z/ T I Wye/77W w/mmw/wrf Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER P. ALBERT, or nas'r ORANGE, new JnnsEY', seamless To wns'r'nnn'nitno- TRIO CGMPANY, INCORPGR-ATED, or new "roan, n. A conronri'r'ron on NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING SYSTEM.

Application filed June 17, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, W ALTER P. ALnn-n'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to electrical controlling mechanisms and more particularly to controlling mechanisms of the character employed in automatic and semi-automatic telephone exchange systems.

The object of the invention is an improved impulse controlling mechanism arranged to receive electrical impulses oi current transmitted over a line or other circuit.

In accordance with this object a particular feature oi the invention relates to an arrangement in which an impulse receiving relay is provided with an operating winding and a winding for opposing said first winding to prevent the relay from operating, together with means for rendering the opposing winding ineffective.

Another feature relates to an arrangement in which the impulse relay delivers impulses to a receiving device, wherein a third winding for said relay becomes effective at each operation and assists the operating winding to render said opposing winding ineffective, thus maintaining the relay operated until the impulse is fully delivered to said receiving device.

These and other features of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the following detailed description and also from the appended claims.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing there is illustrated an electrical control mechanism adapted for use in a telephone system of the character in which electrical impulses are transmitted over a line and recorded on register devices. Fig. 2 illustrates one of the control relays. YVhile the invention is particularly well suited to mechanisms of this character, it will be understood that in its broadest aspects, it may be applied to a wide variety of purposes.

The drawing illustrates a subscribers telephone line 102, 103 entering a central oilice. In any well known manner this line may be extended through a line finder or Serial No. 568,948.

a line switch either to a trunk leading to a selector switch or to an operators positron. Inasmuch as the line extending means forms no essential part of this invention, the same has not been illustrated in the drawing.

Since it is desirable to take a record of the impulses transmitted over the line there is provided at the central oifice an impulse receiving and registering apparatus. This apparatus comprises, among other elements, a plurality of relays 106, 108 and 109 which receive the incoming impulses and deliver them to the registers. There may beany desired number of registers for receiving the impulse series and, moreover, these registers may be 01" any suitable form. Two registers .110 and 115 are shown, each consisting of a step-by-step switch driven by stepping magnets 117 and 119. As many other registers as are needed may be provided. In addition to the registers a control switch 120 is employed for associating the impulse receiving mechanism in succession with the severalregister switches in order that each sue ceding series of impulses may be directed to a different register 'for registration.

It is often desirable to'provide a plurality of these impulse receiving and recording mechanisms at the office, any one of which may be associatedwith the incoming line. To this end a selecting switch, the brushes 104. and 105 of which are illustrated, is employed for finding an idle mech anism. v

A detailed description will now be given of the manner in which the system operates. When the subscriber of line 100 initiates a call, the line is extended through brushes 10 1 and 105 of the selector switch to an idle impulse receiving and recording equipment. A circuit may thereupon be traced from battery, through the left-hand winding of relay 108, left-hand winding of relay 106, brush 105, conductor 102, over the loop of the calling line 100, conductor 103, brush 104, left-hand winding of the balancing coil 107 to ground. The relay 108 becomes energized in this circuit and attracts its armature. The relay 106 is so constructed that current flowing through the left-hand winding in the direction indicated sets up a magnetic flux which assists the armature of the 122, brush 111, terminal relay to retain its normal position. If the relay is already released the left-hand winding of relay 106 tends to hold itreleased, while if the relay is in an operated condition, the action of this winding tends to cause the relay to release. Assuming the relay at this instant to be in a deenergized condition, the closure of the circuit above traced energizes the left-hand winding of relay 106 and the armature is held against its back contact, as shown.

Relay 108, upon operating, closes a circuit from ground, through its armature and front contact, right-hand winding of relay 108, middle winding of relay 106, conductor 122, resistance 11d, to battery. This circuit through the middle winding of relay 106 may be also traced to battery in shunt of the resistance 11%, by way of conductor 23, contact of stepping magnet 117, conductor 121, to battery. Thus, the middle winding of relay 106 is fully energized. This middle winding sets up a magnetic flux which of itself would attract the armature of the relay on to its front contact. However, the flux through the left-hand winding of the relay opposes that of the middle winding and is sufficiently strong to prevent the armature from attracting to its front contact. The apparatus remains in this condition following the closure of line 100 until the subscriber transmits the first series of impulses.

The righthand winding of relay 106 when energized is designed to establish a magnetic flux which aids the middle winding in holding the armature against the front contact. In other words, the middle winding and the right-hand winding together are sufliciently strong to overcome the effect of the left-hand opposing winding to hold the armature attracted against the front contact.

lVhen the subscriber manipulates his dial 101 to send the first series of impulses, the line circuit is opened at the beginning of the first impulse. Immediately that the line is opened the left-hand winding of relay 106 deenergizes, and the circuit above traced through the middle winding of said relay obtaining, this middle winding is free to operate the armature against its front contact. Immediately that the armature encounters the 'front contact, a circuit is established from ground, through the armature and contact of relay 108, armature and front contact of relay 106, right-hand winding of relay 106, conductor 122, resis ance 114, to battery. In a similar fashion to that above explained, this circuit, through the right-hand windin of relay 106, may also be traced to battery in shunt of the resistance 114 by way of conductor 122, brush 111, terminal 1223, contact of stepping n1agnet 117 and conductor 121. Since the resistance is removed from the circuit traced, the right-hand winding of relay 106 sets up a flux sufiiciently strong to aid the middle winding of said relay in overcoming the effect of the left-hand winding. say, should the line circuit again close to energize the left-hand winding of relay 106, this winding would be completely overcome by the cooperative effect of the middle and right-hand windings, so that the armature of the relay would remain operated against the front contact until such time as the relay has completed its function in delivering the impulse to the register mechanism.

Relay 106, in operating, also establishes a circuit from ground through the armature and front contact of relay 108, armature and front contact of relay 106, winding of the slow-to-release relay 109, brush 112, terminal 125, winding of the stepping magnet 117 to battery. The stepping magnet 117 now energizes and actuates the stepping pawl of the switch in its forward stroke preparatory to advancing the brushes of the register switch 110 forward one position.

In the disclosure the register 110 is shown as having but a single brush 116, while register 115 has a single brush 118. Ohviously these registers may be equipped with as many sets of brushes as is necessary. The register switches 110 and 115 and control switch 120 are designed so that the brushes are stepped forward to the next set of terminals at the deenergization of the stepping magnets.

The slow-to-release relay 109, which also operates, completes a circuit from ground through its contact, winding of stepping n'iagnet 113 to battery. Stepping magnet 113 of the control switch 120 energizes and prepares the stepping pawl to advance the brushes 111, 112, etc. forward to the second position when the circuit of said magnet is opened.

As soon as the magnet 117 is thoroughly energized and the stepping mechanism is advanced to its full forward stroke ready to release the brushes to their next posit-ion, the contact of said magnet 117 opens. The opening of this contact removes the shunt around the resistance 114: so that this resistance is now included in series with the cir cuits traced for the middle and right-hand windings of relay 106. The inclusion of resistance 11adecreases the current through the middle and right-hand windings of relay 106, but these windings are still sufficiently strong to hold the armature of the relay attracted provided the line circuit is still open and the left-hand winding of the relay decnergized.

The inclusion of the resistance 11% in series with the right-hand winding of relay 108, however, decreases the current through this winding to su h an extent that the relay That is to begins to release its armature. The relay 108 does not release immediately, but re quires an intervalof time following the insertion of resistance 11 1.

WVhen the line closes again at the end of the transmission of the first impulse, the left-hand winding of relay 106 is energized and since the middle and right-hand windings are weakened dueto the inclusion of resistance 11% in their circuits, the said lefthand winding overcomes the other two windings and causes the relay to release its armature. The relay 106 opens the circuit of the stepping magnet 117 and said magnet releases permitting brush 116 of the register 110 to step to its next position. Relay 108 which maintained its armature attracted during the releasing interval following the inclusion of resistance 11a in series with its right-hand winding is now held through the reclosure of the circuit including its lefthand winding and the subscribers line. Relay 109 being slow-to-release also holds its armature attracted to maintain the energization of the stepping magnet 113.

For each succeeding impulse of the first series transmitted over the subscribers line, the relay 106 operates and releases in the manner explained and the stepping magnet 117 advances brush 116 of the register 110 from one position to another. At the end of the impulse series, the line circuit closes and relay 106 releases its armature to open the circuit of magnet 117 and relay 109. Relay 109 after an interval becomes deenergized and opens the circuit of the stepping magnet 113. The magnet 113 releases and advances the brushes of the control switch 120 to their next position-terminals.

hen the next series of impulses is transmitted the relay 106 operates on the first opening of the line and circuits are closed for the stepping magnet 119 of the second register 115 in amanner analogous to that explained for the register 110. The only difference is that the control switch 120 is standing with its brushes 111 and 112 upon the second position-terminals 12 1 and 126.

For each of the several impulses of the second series, brush 118 of the register 115 is advanced from position to position under the control of the relay 106. At the end of the series the control switch 120 is moved to asucceeding position where other register switches may be positioned if necessary.

hen the mechanism is no longer required, the impulsing circuit is opened in any well known manner sufficiently long to permit relay 108 to release. Relay 108 at its back contact closes a circuit which, in any well known manner, may effect release of the control switch 120 and the registers 110, 115.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. The combination with aline and means for transmitting a series of impulses thereover, of a relay responsive to each succeeding-impulse of the series having a winding for actuating the same, means opposing said winding to prevent the actuation of said relay, and means made active upon the actua: tion of said relay for overcoming the effect of said opposing means.

2. The combination with a line and means for transmitting a series of impulses thereover, 01 a relay responsive to each of said impulses having a winding for actuating the same, means opposing said Winding during the impulses to prevent the actuation of said relay, and means made active upon the actuation of said relay for overcoming the eifect of said opposing means.

3. The combination with animpulse circuit, of a. relay responsive to each succeeding impulse of a series of impulses in said circuit having a winding for actuating the same, means acting in opposition to said windingto hold said relay in its released condition, and means made active upon the actuation of said relay for overcoming the effect of said opposing means.

4. The combination of a line and means for transmitting a series of impulses thereover, of a relay responsive to each of said impulses having a winding for said relay for actuating the same, a second winding opposing said first winding tov prevent the actuation of said relay, and means made active upon the actuation of said relay for overcoming the effect of said second winding.

5. The combination with a circuit and means for transmitting impulses thereover, of a relay responsive to said impulses having a winding for said relay for actuating the same, a second winding opposing said first winding to prevent the actuation of said relay, and a third winding rendered effective under certain conditions to assist said first winding in overcoming the effect of said second winding.

6. The combination with a circuit and means for transmitting impulses thereover, of a relay responsive to said impulses having a winding for actuating the same, a second winding opposing said first winding to prevent the actuation of said relay, a third wind-ing effective upon the actuation of saidrelay for assisting the first winding in overcoming the effect of said second winding, and a device actuated in response to each operation of said relay. 1

7. The combination with a line and means for transmitting impulses thereover, of a relay responsive to said impulses having a winding for actuating the same, a second winding opposing said first winding to prevent the actuation of said relay and tending to cause the release of said relay when actuated, means rendered effective upon the actuation of said relay for assisting the first winding in overcoming the effect of said second Winding and a progressively operable device actuated upon each operation of said relay.

8. The combination with a line and means for transmitting impulses thereover, of a relay responsive to said impulses having a winding for actuating the same, means opposing said Winding to prevent the actuation of said relay means made active upon the actuation of said relay for assisting the first Winding in overcoming the effect of said opposing means, a device actuated upon each operation of said relay, and meanscontrolled by said device for rendering said opposing means eflective.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of June A. 1)., 1922.

WVAILTER P. ALBERT. 

